Northwest Sampler
Your school has made tremendous strides in improving student achievement. To what do you attribute this success?
"Increasing reading achievement of all our students, especially English language learners is a high priority," says Arcella Hall. Before she became principal, a daily two-hour block schedule had been put in place that included back-to-back periods of reading/language arts. Ninth- and tenth- graders were also placed in leveled reading classes if their scores were below grade level. Not only did this structure provide blocks of reading instruction, but enabled teachers to have the same preparation period once a week, allowing time for a department meeting and for collaboration. Staff adopted two reading programs focusing on fluency, which have proven to be successful. Hall notes that the key to making these programs work is the one-on-one time students get with teachers or paraeducators.
Cal Gilbert's priority is also reading instruction. He says that a key reason Longfellow Elementary School moved out of improvement status to meet AYP for four consecutive years was aligning all classes with the same reading curriculum. "Before I became principal, 14 teachers were teaching 14 different curricula, with no connections across grade levels." Now all teachers are trained to use the same curriculum and a reading coach provides ongoing support for both teachers and children. All same-grade teachers and support staff meet every two weeks to talk about the progress of each student. "We received a Reading First grant and have trained teachers to be reading specialists focusing on scientifically based research. Reading comprehension raises all scores in every discipline," maintains Gilbert.
"I align everything we do with the goals of our school improvement plan," declares Melissa Sandven. "This is the key to success of implementing any strategy." Not only are staff and students held accountable for making progress toward these goals, but all strategies and professional development activities are aligned to the goals. One goal is to have 80 percent of all students reach the state reading benchmark. Two of the strategies being used to achieve this are Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) and Differentiated Instruction. Sandven has made sure that ongoing professional development is provided for both strategies.
Randy Jensen believes that aligning the curriculum with standards has been a big part of his middle school's success, but emphasizes that long-lasting achievement will not occur without building a school climate where children know they are cared for, and are given top priority. "Each child has a personal adult advocate who makes sure that the student is taking the classes they need to obtain the skills to get where they are going," Jensen elaborates. The advocates generally look out for the students, recognize if they have problems, and push for their success. The advocates also help students develop a four-year plan for high school, and assist them with career exploration.
Porfiria Lopez-Trout attributes much of her success to beginning a dialogue with teachers about "what we need to do and where we need to go." She had heard from the language arts teachers that they needed more time for reading, and asked them if it would help to separate writing from reading. "They said that if we are going to be accountable for student reading scores, we need to have more time with our students," she explains. The schedule was adjusted to allow children an uninterrupted reading block. "We were already providing more time for ESL and children with special needs," says Lopez-Trout, "so it made sense to do it for all children."
Research has shown that leadership is second only to classroom instruction affecting student success. What specific practices or actions have you taken to boost student achievement?
"I focus on what's best for the students," says Porfiria Lopez-Trout. "If students and teachers feel good about their purpose, then that is success. I try to be a positive motivator for children. I get hugs, even though they know me as the head figure. They trust that I am fair, and will 'do good' for them. It is important to me that I have real conversations with them."
Randy Jensen agrees: "I focus on making kids feel successful, and I work on their self-esteem." One way of doing this, explains Jensen, is to give all students opportunities to be involved in various roles and activities in the school. "Rather than just having a few students be office aides, all students are given the chance. Many children need this self-esteem boost." One instructional change that Jensen made to give children greater opportunities was to eliminate pull-out groups for Title I, and place all students together in classrooms. "Children who were in pull-outs were labeled for life," says Jensen, "and the students didn't feel successful." Jensen notes that the new grouping also means teachers are accountable for teaching all children.
Another action Jensen took was to hire a reading coach who provides initial training in reading across the curriculum and continued guidance and support for the staff. The coach provides similar training and support in the SIOP, which enables teachers to be more effective teachers to ELL students. "The middle school structure of teaming, however, made this coaching more effective than schools in the district that didn't have teaming," observes Jensen. "Because of teaming, the coach could meet with teams of teachers during their common planning time on a weekly basis. This has proven to be a highly effective way of embedding professional development into the daily lives of teachers."
Arcella Hall believes that an important part of being an instructional leader is finding effective strategies for teachers to use. "I 'invite' teachers to further research the strategies and then adapt them for their own use, rather than force the strategies upon them," she states. Hall found that the Cornell note-taking system can help students engage with each other in reflecting on what they read and invited teachers to use them. Another strategy was from Marzano's Building Background Knowledge, which focuses on effective vocabulary instruction. Hall explains that half of her students' families speak only Spanish; one can't make an assumption that students have prior knowledge about a topic. "We must build their knowledge so that they have the information they need before reading a selection." Within the first few weeks of the school year teachers have told Hall that the strategies are working and are excited to learn more. "I provide time in meetings for "staff testimonials," remarks Hall, "which really helps build momentum for change."
"Committing to following Montana's Indian Education for All law has been and will continue to be important in closing the achievement gap," Cal Gilbert maintains. The law requires that all Indian and non-Indian students understand the history, culture, and contributions of Montana's Native American people. School staff members must work with tribes to develop curriculum on Native American culture and heritage, and be culturally responsive educators. "We design lessons using culturally relevant methods and materials," Gilbert comments. "An example is teaching writing using the animal skin stories derived from winter count models. A 'winter count' was a way Native American tribes recorded noteworthy events in tribal life that took place each winter. The events were described using pictographs painted on animal hides. We also teach reading using tribal stories centered on Montana specific tribes," Gilbert explains. He and his team based their school model on characteristics of high performing/high poverty schools including providing extra out-of-school classroom time, ensuring highly trained teachers, creating planning time for teachers, and above all believing that every child can learn at a high level. "Last year, there was virtually no gap in reading and math between American Indian students and their non-Indian peers," he affirms.
As a new principal at your school, what were some of the things you did first, and why?
"I hired some staff younger than me," jokes Randy Jensen. He became principal at his school after four years of teaching, and found himself the youngest staff member at the age of 27. Jensen explains that he worked hard to build relationships and earn staff respect that first year. "After school I'd talk informally with teachers about their children and their lives outside of school, not focusing on test scores."
Jensen also had a strong belief in the success of a middle school philosophy and recognized that the middle school was one in name only, that it essentially operated as an elementary school, with very little teaming among staff and students. "The more we changed to using a true middle school philosophy, the more success we had," Jensen emphasizes. That philosophy includes schoolwide teaming, advisory programs, and a fully integrated curriculum, but above all is focused on the needs of individual students.
Arcella Hall and Porfiria Lopez-Trout both say that that rushing into change won't work. "Initially when I started at Kodiak Middle School, I didn't make many changes," Lopez-Trout recalls. I took the first year to study what might be needed—the strengths and weaknesses of the system. I recognized that children needed different levels of support in different areas and that it was important for us to determine what classes were most appropriate for each child." Hall adds that a principal needs first to listen to people, build relationships, respect the decisions that staff have made prior to her arrival, and then begin to look at what hasn't worked. "I first need to understand the school culture and not rush into changes that staff may not be ready for, but begin by increasing awareness for change."
Melissa Sandven also focused on building trust, but also began to "build systems" to make the environment more conducive for learning, and establish greater accountability for staff members and students. She established a consistent schoolwide tardy policy after she saw that students were given mixed messages when some teachers enforced the policy and others didn't. Tardiness decreased after the policy was put in place. Sandven also noticed that teaching assistants didn't have a schedule for their assignments, and wanted to make sure they were utilized effectively. She first asked teachers to tell her if they needed an assistant and for what purpose (e.g., for ELL or special education students, large numbers of students in a class). Sandven then put together a schedule and sent them to teachers. She revisits the schedules mid-year and makes necessary changes. "This helps provide more accountability for teachers to utilize assistants in the best way," remarks Sandven.
How have you determined what changes to make? What are some examples?
Randy Jensen advises: "Whatever you do first, try to ensure that it is done well and is successful. Then staff members will be excited and motivated to make future changes." One of the first changes he made was to incorporate an exploratory curriculum, where children could participate in one of 30 activities, such as learning to scuba dive or ski. This program is funded partially through donations, and some instructors are volunteers. Initially some teachers were hesitant about the program, but it became very successful in motivating children to come to school. As students showed more interest in being successful with academic studies, parents became excited about the program, and teachers soon were enthusiastic and eager to make other changes.
"Analyzing data is a huge part of determining what and how to change," maintains Porfiria Lopez-Trout. "You need to know what your students' and staff strengths and weaknesses are to know where change is needed." For example, classes had large numbers of students when she began, and there were many disciplinary actions. "We made some organizational changes that alleviated teacher stress by hiring a dean of students to deal with discipline schoolwide so that teachers wouldn't have to. That way they could get through the curriculum," says Lopez-Trout. Although some teachers may not have been comfortable with these changes at first, Lopez-Trout has observed that as they noticed fewer disciplinary actions, and were less stressed, they saw the benefit to themselves and their students.
Cal Gilbert also made some unique changes involving discipline. One was to eliminate in-school suspension and create a "character education room" in which children attend for a minimal amount of time and concentrate on character traits and schoolwork. The classroom is attended by a certified character education teacher, and is not a punitive environment as the suspension room had been. Since implementing this, disciplinary actions have decreased. Gilbert advises, "Don't be afraid to make changes. Listen to others around you and take their suggestions—even if something sounds bizarre, it just might work!"
"A principal needs to constantly scan for promising practices, and for those that will fit into their context," says Arcella Hall. A key to her success is spending time on her own professional development by seeking the best information in the field. Last year she attended a mini-workshop where she learned about using a writing prompt like those from the Washington Assessment of Student Learning [WASL] as part of the semester final. Hall brought the idea back to her own English department staff and "invited" them to research it and to consider using the prompt. The staff members decided to implement the schoolwide writing test. As they receive their scores, students are given an annotated rubric that outlines the changes they would need to make to pass the test. Two of the staff were trained on scoring the test, and taught the rest of the department how to score it.
How have you been able to foster trust and build leadership in your school staff?
"When I find strengths in others, I give them leadership roles," says Porfiria Lopez-Trout. She created a dean of students position for Ron Bryant, a staff member who is also football coach and is studying to obtain his administrative license. Additionally, teacher teaming has enabled teachers to provide input into schoolwide decisionmaking. Teachers serve on schoolwide committees in areas of personal interest—discipline, communications, safe and drug-free schools, meeting AYP, grantwriting, quality schools, and student intervention.
For Randy Jensen, an important factor in building trust is being accessible to students and staff. "My office is located right next to the library, in the middle of the building which is convenient for students and teachers to drop by and visit. I encourage anyone to come in."
Cal Gilbert emphasizes that he "is committed to supporting all staff with a sincere appreciation for their talents." He has a contract with all staff that outlines four expectations: to focus on academic achievement and address issues that impede education; take calculated risks; display professionalism; and "to provide loyalty, but not blind loyalty"—to students, parents, colleagues, the district, the board, and the program. In return, Gilbert promises to provide loyalty and support (publicly and privately), work with the district to facilitate staff members' efforts, and see that teachers' performance as educators is evaluated based on what they do academically. "What we go into, we go into together," he asserts.
Melissa Sandven is fostering a culture of learning among her staff and facilitates teachers working and learning with their peers. The school has implemented "peer coaching" for a few years now, and Sandven provides substitute teachers so that teachers can observe each other in the classroom. "I allow staff to plot the course. I give them the data and ask them what they think? How should we do this? Where should we start?" Staff development for differentiated instruction began when teachers said that they learned best by reading and discussing books together. So Sandven bought each teacher a research-based book on differentiated instruction and had them form discussion groups.
"Principals need to recognize who among the staff are ready for leadership responsibilities, provide the opportunities for staff to lead, and nurture their leadership strengths," observes Arcella Hall. "I have strong departmental leaders, and I provide a common prep time for them to meet together. They will be taking a leadership role in upcoming staff development sessions."
How do you see your role in supporting teachers and how do you provide the feedback and resources that they need to be successful?
"Having a structure in place to provide time for teachers to collaborate is one thing that I can do to support teachers," declares Randy Jensen. "Another is keeping the class sizes small whenever possible." Jensen also reiterates that giving teachers clear expectations of what you expect from them is important, and that he doesn't want to burden teachers with unrealistic or unnecessary expectations.
Melissa Sandven believes that her role is to "model continuous learning, support teachers in this process, and give as much continuous feedback to teachers as possible." Part of being an instructional leader for Sandven is to make sure that there is "high cognitive demand" in the classroom. "The research shows," she affirms, that the "quality and level of instruction is what matters with improvement, not only managing your classroom or your students." On one classroom visit Sandven observed a discussion about civil rights in which students were beginning to be excited and interested. The teacher ended the discussion, however, and moved quickly on to another lesson. This left many students feeling let down and frustrated. Sandven later met with the teacher and talked about letting the students continue to talk in the future, so as to keep them engaged.
Arcella Hall agrees that observing teachers in the classroom is important. "When I ask teachers how I can best support them, they say that they want me to come into their class, provide feedback, and then provide them with staff development to improve," she says. Hall visits classrooms frequently and looks for teachers using specific strategies that are outlined in the school improvement plan. An expectation of all teachers is that they use "entry tasks"—tasks that help students focus on learning and can maximize the learning time. During her classroom walkthroughs, Hall records on half sheets of paper called "short shot slips" how often entry tasks were used, and what she saw to keep students engaged. In a letter to all teachers she summarizes what she saw in all classes, and points out examples of what teachers are doing. She suggests to teachers that they stop by to see what other teachers are doing during their prep times. "I try to highlight great things I am seeing and give people recognition for what they are doing well," stresses Hall.
How do you promote stronger ties between school staff, families, and students?
"When I first became principal, I started a parent advisory committee that had representatives from all aspects of our community," Randy Jensen remembers. "We had monthly family meetings at which we provided dinner. The children could go to tutorials, and family members could go to parenting classes or attend the tutorials with their children. These meetings really brought in diverse families."
"We also started Hispanic Parent Advisory meetings that were facilitated by a counselor who spoke Spanish," says Jensen. "Upon the advice of parents, we provided activities like soccer and programs for families to receive their GED. In partnership with Idaho State University we hold an aerobics class especially for Hispanic women—25-30 women attend. These kinds of activities made a difference in that Hispanic families saw the school as a positive organization for themselves and their children. Without the Hispanic advisory group, we would not have known what parents want for their children to succeed, and how they want us to help their children."
"At a principals' conference, I heard about a school that had implemented student-led conferences," reflects Arcella Hall. "We implemented this four times so far and they have been a huge success in bringing students, parents, and teachers together for the common goal of student success." Students are empowered to take responsibility for understanding what they need to accomplish to do well, and also can fully involve their families in this understanding. "The number of students enrolling in college preparatory classes has skyrocketed because now families and students understand together what they need to do to be ready for college."
Hall has also required all teachers to use an online grading program so that families can access their children's grades, attendance records, and other information. Hall also instituted a uniform class syllabus so that families know what is being taught in classes and can help students prepare for assignments. Hall acknowledges that staff find this challenging, but she realizes that change takes time and if the practice is successful, staff will be more positive.
"I build trust by showing the community that kids and their families come first," says Cal Gilbert. "We strive to be more than the traditional school. We are a community resource. A parent resource center is on site to help families in need. We have traditional parenting classes, before- and after-school activities for no cost. We are the 'go to' place for many struggling families. The list goes on... Because we do these things, families who never felt comfortable in a school for all kinds of legitimate reasons have become fiercely loyal to Longfellow Elementary.
"When we ensure that students and families have these services, we provide a foundation for increasing academic achievement," Gilbert emphasizes. "Our mission statement is 'Learning— whatever it takes... No excuses.' It is a short statement but it encompasses everything a school should do."
